On The Edge Of Madness
by IntoTheWilds
Summary: ONE-SHOT: Sequel to Radiant Sunshine And Wistful Moon: Yugi is ill, Atem is at his wits end and all the while Joey is falling in love with a beauty named Calypso. But Joey isn't up to scratch according to Calypso's brute father, but in her eyes the blonde haired teen is everything...


_**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or its Characters!_

_**SUMMARY: **Sequel to** Radiant Sunshine And Wistful Moon. **Yugi is ill, Atem is at his wits end and all the while Joey is falling in love with a beauty named Calypso. But Joey isn't up to scratch according to Calypso's brute father, but in her eyes the blonde haired teen is everything...  
_

* * *

Sitting in Art class Calypso Spindon sighed with boredom, wishing she could be anywhere else, as Miss Dempsey nattered on about Donatello. Calypso Spindon was a pretty teen of fifteen with long flowing black hair and deep sapphire blue eyes, her skin like liquid gold. She had moved to Domino from California with her mum Cassandra and Dad Yoshiro when she was thirteen and had lived there since. Her best friend was Serenity Wheeler and she loved hanging out with Tristan, Téa, Bakura and all the others. She just about put up with Duke Devlin after the ignorant pig had tried seducing her, but she really didn't like him. Calypso possessed a tattoo on her right hip of a rose-bud that ended on her mid-back. She had gotten it done a year previous and God was the pain awful. An only child Calypso tended to get a little spoiled by her mother, but was still a well brought up young woman, she adored her father, but Yoshiro tended to push her too hard when it came to good grades and wouldn't except anything less then ninety-eight percent on any of her tests or assignments. It tended to leave a huge dent in her social life, but well what are you going to do?

Feeling a poke to her ribs, Calypso scowled darkly at the fool Duke who was sitting next to her and once again ignored his plea to go out with him.

Calypso was only interested in one guy and yet he remained ever oblivious to it. Joey Wheeler, a handsome teenager of eighteen with cream coloured skin, doe-brown eyes and messy blonde hair sat in front of Calypso next to a very tired looking Atem Motou. A sad glint appeared in Calypso's eyes as she studied Atem's slumped frame as if he were ready to break before her eyes. Not many were aware that Atem's twin Yugi was dying from cancer, not even the school staff, Atem had been afraid, seeing as Yugi was a famous duellist, that it would end up all over TV and the money hungry thugs known as the media would be all over him. Surprisingly enough Atem's grades were still the highest in the class, it amazed Calypso he could still keep his work normal while also going back and fourth from Domino hospital.

Hearing the sharp cry of the school bell, she gratefully grabbed all her stuff and followed her good friend Kathlynn out to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Man, I'm starvin'," Joey declared dropping down next to Tristan, his tray laden with a cheese-burger filled with everything, fries a Pepsi and three chocolate muffins.

"You're always hungry," Kathlynn teased grabbing one of Atem's carrot sticks and popping it in her mouth.

Every now and then Atem took a look at his cell as if he new bad news was coming, but kept dropping it back down on the table when no messages were left.

Calypso munched happily on her salad sandwich from her place next to Kathy, her blood pumping to boiling as she listened to Joey's cheery chatter and infectious laughter, it just made her desire him all the more. Cheeks flushing a little, she took a gulp of her bottled water.

"You okay...?" Téa asked noticing the red spreading over her cheeks, right to the tips of her ears.

"I'm fine," Calypso blurted, having everyone at the table look at her.

Laughing nervously she excused herself from the table and scurried from the cafeteria totally mortified. Noticing her odd behaviour Téa wandered after her, finding her at her locker.

"It's Joey, isn't it...?"

Calypso froze at the mention of his name.

"It's just not fair Téa, I really like him."

Turning, eyes watering a little a frown knitted her brow when her pretty blue irises fell upon a huge poster adorning the far wall. Stepping around Téa, Calypso stood reading it and her heart elated, now she could find out if Joey liked her back. It was a large poster, painted in many colours showing there was a dance in a week and girls were to ask guys, it was a perfect opportunity.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

Later that evening Calypso joined Téa and Atem as they headed toward Domino hospital. Drifting toward the cancer ward, Calypso noticed how Atem seemed to become more cheerful as if he were trying to keep up a brave front for Yugi. The ward was as silent as a grave-yard, except for the odd moan and groan and devastated tears, her heart stuttered in her chest as she saw a sheet being pulled over a four year olds face, the mother and father completely distraught. God she really hoped the same wouldn't happen to Yugi. Coming back to reality, Calypso had to stop herself from gasping aloud when her blue irises fell upon Yugi. She hadn't seen him in nearly four weeks and couldn't believe how sick he looked. Yugi lay there still as death, his chest rising and falling as he slept, his golden skin was horribly pale, blue veins protruding awfully, lips chapped and chewed. Black rings decorated both his sunken eyes, features gaunt and sickly and all that remained of his hair was small red, blonde and black tufts, the chemo having caused it to fall out. By now it had become quite obvious the chemo-therapy had little effect and the Doctors were looking to bone marrow. Unfortunately Atem hadn't been a match, nor was anyone else within the family, so they were now looking outside the family which in turn made the transplant a little bit more risky, but the Doctors and Atem were willing to try anything at this point. Of course if Yugi got any more unwell, the transplant surgery would only kill him, they had mere weeks left now to help him.

As if sensing their presence Yugi's eyes opened to slits, too weak to open them fully.

"Hey," he rasped his tone low and poorly.

"Wow," Téa said with a grin, "Chemo did a number on you today."

"Yeah," Yugi laughed softly, his cheeks suddenly tingeing green.

Atem was quickly by his side helping him as the poor young teen was violently ill into a basin.  
It nearly made Calypso want to cry as Atem crooned over him, soothing his brothers pain the best he could.

After a few minutes, no longer able to take it, she slinked out quietly and made her way as quickly as possible from the hospital. Switching her concentration to Joey and the dance, anything to get Yugi's broken self out of her head.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

Joey sat on the beach, doe brown eyes wandering over the scenery a sigh escaping his lips as he thought about Calypso. All he did lately was think about Calypso, her smell, her smile, everything about her made him want her so bad. With a groan escaping his lips he dropped his face into his hands, mentally kicking himself for not asking her out already. It shouldn't have been that hard! Usually Joey was great with girls, but anytime Calypso was around, his mouth went dry, his palms became sweaty and he ended up acting like a total fool.

"Joey...?"

His heart quickened at the sound of her voice and Joey turned to find Calypso watching him.

"Eh, hey Calypso, I thought you were gone to the hospital to see Yugi."

"I was," she answered with a soft sigh as she dropped down next to him, "I just couldn't stand seeing him like that...So I left."

Joey nodded in agreement, he too had been avoiding Yugi for a few weeks now, unable to watch his best friend dying, it was just too heart-breaking, and pushing it from his mind he grinned brightly at her.

"So what has you wandering around here?" He asked pleasantly.

"I just needed the quiet to think," Calypso admitted softly.

If she went home, her Dad would be over her making sure she was studying and studying correctly and she hated that he couldn't just trust her to do her work and get the grades. She could even hear her mother scolding him, cursing in Greek and shoving him from the room, telling him to leave Calypso alone. Thinking about it, made her smile and for a new sense of confidence to set in, after all her mother was an extremely confident woman, so why couldn't she be? Clearing her throat she said.

"Eh, Joey…?"

He smiled his goofy grin making her melt.

"Yes...?"

"Will—eh, will you go to Saturdays dance with me?"

He gaped at her, completely shocked and for one horrible minute Calypso thought he was actually going to say no, but then a beaming smile spread across his lips and he said jubilantly.

"I'd love to."

Her smile was quick and bright and she could barely contain her joy. It had been so easy to ask and for Joey to say yes!

As the sun drifted below the horizon, Calypso walked alongside Joey as he took her home, unsure what to say to him. They had been friends for months and usually got on okay with one another, but what was she to say to him now? Joey wasn't fairing any better, he had no clue what to say, after going all shy.

Coming to a stop outside a lovely house with two cars in the drive and happy winking lights in the windows, it was so different from what Joey was used to. All Joey had was a run-down apartment in crumbling disrepair with peeling wallpaper and empty beer bottles all over the place as his waste of a father drank himself into oblivion and only paid attention to Joey when he needed more drink, which tended to end in heated arguments and several things being flung at Joey and Joey finding elsewhere to stay until his father calmed down. Only Tristan was really aware of the harsh life he suffered and yet he still managed to plaster on a happy face and have some semblance of a good life. He didn't get on with his mother ever since she left and had taken Serenity with her, so she wasn't somebody he was about to go with, for one she had known what his father had been like and still she had left him there, had abandoned him. The thought of it infuriated him, making his blood boil, but seeing Calypso's sapphire blue eyes on him, he squashed it down and smiled brightly at her, watching as she sat down on the fence and waited for him to sit next to her.

With a sheepish grin Joey dropped down next to her, gazing up at the stars.

"Wow, I've never seen so many stars," he said awed by the sight.

"You wouldn't see many in the middle of the city," Calypso said with a warm smile curving her lips as she watched him.

A red flush exploded in her cheeks when he turned catching her staring and Calypso looked away quickly, embarrassed at being caught. To her surprise, Joey reached out cupping her right cheek and turned her face to look at him. He ran his thumb along her top plump lip, smudging her lip-gloss a little and moments later leant in pressing his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Calypso's immediate reaction was shock, she hadn't expected it, but quickly found herself kissing back and soon the two were devouring each other as if starved for it. Calypso fisted her hands in Joey's blonde hair drinking him in and drowning in his erotic heat. Joey wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close and feasted on her sensuous lips, that is until.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!"

"Dad," Calypso squeaked pulling away from Joey and nearly tumbling off the fence, Joey catching her on the elbow, stopping her.

"Eh, sorry sir, I—"

"Don't you sir me, just get off my property and you Calypso, get in the house."

"But Dad…"

"NOW," bellowed the man furiously.

With a groan she said good-bye to Joey and drifted toward the house an irritated scowl upon her face. Her father would have to have ruined the best moment of her life. Letting his cool blue eyes take in Joey's appearance as the teen shuffled uneasily on his feet, Yoshiro asked gruffly.

"What's your name boy?"

"Joey Wheeler, sir," replied Joey warily.

"Wheeler," Yoshiro snorted an obvious disdain in his look that had Joey's blood heating up.

"I'm not my father, sir," he said bluntly.

Yoshiro sneered his frigid eyes trailing over Joey's faded jeans and tattered jacket, his shirt frayed at the ends.

"I beg to differ," and with that said Yoshiro headed back towards the house.

Fuming Joey drifted from the garden and wandered off.

Calypso sat on the bottom of the stairs; she scowled darkly when her father came into the house.

"I can't believe you did that," she hissed with suppressed rage, her look absolutely murderous.

Clearing his throat Yoshiro folded his arms across his chest, eyeing his fifteen year old daughter.

"You should have been home ten minutes ago; you know the rules Calypso..."

"I've been out there fifteen minutes and you would've known that had you bothered to look," she snapped furiously.

Yoshiro's eyes narrowed to angry slits.

"I don't want you spending time with that boy, as of now you are grounded..."

"But Dad," argued the teen.

"No buts now go to your room..."

Half growling Calypso thundered up the stairs and slammed into her bedroom a wild hurricane of raw fury. With a shrill scream she lifted pillows and books, flinging them at the wall in temper. Just as quickly as the anger had risen, it was gone again and Calypso dropped down onto her bed heaving out great sobs.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

Drifting through the silent streets of Domino, Joey came to a stop outside a large block of rundown flats. With a heavy sigh he made his way up the four flights of stairs to his front door, with its rusted number plaque and peeling varnish. Rummaging in his pocket he pulled out a set of keys and let himself in. Immediately Joey was assaulted with the rancid stench of stale beer and vomit. He cursed angrily, having only just cleaned the apartment yesterday and already his father had made a mess of it again, speak of the devil, here he came stumbling out of the kitchen, bleary-eyed and clutching a fresh bottle of cider. Joey's stomach knotted at the sight of the cider, his fathers temperament tended to be a lot more hostile when he was drinking cider, at least on beer he just passed out.

"And where the hell have you been, ya stupid brat?" He slurred barely able to focus on his son, finding he could see three of him.

"School Dad," Joey said with a gentle smile, hoping his politeness might placate his Dad's temper.  
It never usually worked, but he could always hope.

"Sure," he grunted swaying on his feet, eyes all blood-shot, "you were probably skippin'...Waste of skin..."

Stumbling past Joey, he flopped onto the floor, not able to make it as far as the couch. Joey did his best not to loose his cool and hit the idiot drunk, his Dad could still pound him, even when paralytic drunk, letting it go he made his way to his bedroom, trying his damndest not to cry.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

"Grounded...?" Joey moaned his sandwich forgotten.

"I'm sorry Joey," Calypso apologised, her eyes on her lunch.

It was Friday, the day before the dance, the one thing Calypso had been looking forward to until her father had grounded her.

"Aww," Kathy whined across the table from her, "is there no way you're Dad will drop the punishment...?"

"Not a chance, my mum tried talking him out of it, it wasn't any use," Calypso sighed.

"What did you even do?" Atem asked curiously, surprised when both Joey's and Calypso's cheeks burned bright red and then it dawned on him.

"Oh..."

"My Dad is just being stupid," Calypso grumbled, "besides he can't ground me forever..."

Although that wouldn't stop him from trying

"You go to the dance anyway Joey and have a good time..."

"But Calypso…" Joey whined.

"Please Joey, for me...?"

He sighed.

"Okay..."

The day went quick enough and Calypso made her way home. She ignored her father, said hello to her mother and headed straight upstairs. On her wardrobe door hung a baby blue dress, the one she was going to wear to the dance and seeing it just made her want to cry. It just wasn't fair, being punished for liking someone.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

Leaning over Atem plumped Yugi's pillow and straightened his blanket, for a few moments Yugi waited, allowing him to tend to him as Atem had been doing for nearly five months now, before finally saying.

"You may need to start thinking on things after my death," he rasped weakly.

"Don't talk like that," Atem scolded, "You're not going to die, we'll get you a donor and you'll be fine..."

Yugi grasped his wrist with what little strength he had left in his weakened body.

"Atem, I'm dying and it's about time you except it, the cancer has progressed too far and you need to stop trying to fix what can't be fixed and live your life again..."

Atem shook his head defiantly.

"Yugi, you'll get better, you'll—"

"I won't survive the weekend," Yugi looked up at him through tired aged eyes, and "I heard what the doctor said..."

Slumping into his chair, a defeated look upon his face, Atem didn't know what to say. It was true, Yugi had come to the end of the road and wouldn't live till Monday and Atem knew a piece of him, would die too. But he'd remain strong; he had to for Kathy, who was also awaiting a transplant. Clutching Yugi's hand he finally let go and shattered.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

* * *

Saturday passed boringly enough, with Calypso spending most of it finishing her homework assignments and her chores, while she tried to forget about the dance, but to no avail and eventually she came to a decision. Usually Calypso wouldn't disobey her farther, but she had reasoned his punishment made very little sense and so gladly dressed and did her-self up for the dance, climbing down the drain pipe and sneaking out, her heart thumping in her chest.

Lonely as could be Joey sat watching as couples spun around on the dance floor. Several times girls asked him to dance, but he had refused because there was only one girl he wanted to dance with and that was Calypso. With a sigh escaping his lips, he ignored the pitiful glances of Téa and the others and got to his feet intending on going home, only to be stopped by the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

Calypso approached him, eyes sparkling with happiness, she was truly radiant.

"C-Calypso...?" He stuttered.

A blush rose in her cheeks as she smiled.

"Hey Joey..."

"I thought you were grounded..."

"I am, but I—Well I snuck out..." She admitted.

Joey laughed shaking his head.

"I'm a bad influence on you..."

Taking Calypso's hand Joey lead her out onto the dance-floor just as a slow song began to play. Swaying to the music Calypso rested her head against his chest as Joey wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer, enjoying the moment as he held her in his arms.


End file.
